The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Manaoag is a pilgrimage site in Pangasinán. At the Our Lady of Manaoag Church, you can attend Mass, light candles and pray. The Rosary Park, Candle Gallery and museum also invite visitors to explore.

The main feast of Our Lady of Manaoag takes place on the third Wednesday of Easter; the general feast day falls in October, the month of the Rosary. Manaoag also celebrates the Galicayo Festival in honor of Our Lady. Religious visits and local festivals alike are part of the town’s cultural character.

Coastlines and Islands

In Hundred Islands National Park, around 120 picturesque limestone islands rise from crystal-clear blue water. Activities available there include island hopping and kayaking through calm waters. The island landscape offers a different impression from the mainland’s coastal stretches. At Patar Beach in Bolinao, powdery white sand and stretches of coastline lined with coconut palms define the scenery.

Beach colors also vary across the province: long white-sand beaches stretch along western Pangasinán, while the central coasts have soft gray sand. In Bolinao, the Balingasay River is described as the cleanest river in Region 1; the town is also known as the home of giant clams. These are distinct natural features that set Bolinao apart alongside its beaches.

History, Festivals and Local Specialties

In Lingayen, Casa Real connects the past and present of local cultural history: the building once served as the seat of the provincial government and houses the Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum. It is located in the historic Casa Real beside Lingayen Town Hall. The museum offers visitors insights into the time of Princess Urduja, the galleon trade, the American colonial period and World War II. Exhibits include artifacts, artworks, art installations and interactive features.

Sison Auditorium is a venue for some of the most important events in Pangasinan province. Lingayen Baywalk is one of the town’s newer attractions. Food culture is also rooted in local tradition: bagoong is Lingayen’s “One Town One Product,” and the town has celebrated the Bagoong Festival since 2011. In Dagupan City, the Bangus Festival honors milkfish as a defining emblem of the province; the program includes street-dancing competitions.

In Bolinao, food also tells the story of local traditions: binungey is sweet sticky rice slowly cooked in bamboo over charcoal or wood. St. James the Great Church is associated with the claim that the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines was held there. The Mangunguna Festival, meanwhile, has its roots in Bolinao’s fishing industry; its name translates as “Fishermen’s Festival.”

The Umbrella Rocks of Sabangan in Agno are large, mushroom-shaped rock formations along the coast. The annual Umbrella Rocks Festival celebrates this geological feature.

In the broader destination of Ilocos

The wider destination of Ilocos also has its own cultural landmarks: Vigan is considered the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Santa Maria is part of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines World Heritage Site. These examples represent Ilocos and are distinct from the places and experiences described here in Pangasinán.

Discover more destinations

Lingayén, Urbiztondo, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union

To the broader travel overview: Ilocos.